Of Faults And Feathers
by missrivets
Summary: Gold has a sick sense of humor when it comes to getting what he wants and revenge. (A Swan Princess based fic)
1. Prologue

A/N: So we're starting out on this journey together! It's my first multi-chapter fic, so I'm excited to see how it's going to turn out. This, being the prologue, is a little jumpy. Setting the scene and all that. Please feel free to review! I hope you enjoy.

PROLOGUE - "Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes"

* * *

"Hide him!"

Two simple words, shouted frantically from out of sight. The panicked sounds rushing around the corner in the hospital to meet him, as Mr. Gold made to follow Belle wherever the nurses were taking her. He hadn't really thought anything of the exclamation from Emma at the time, being focused far more on the agony threatening to crush his chest at the sight of Belle's confused face being led away. Now that he'd had the time to settle his thoughts and focus his scattered fury, Gold was beginning to develop a clearer picture of Hook and Miss Swan's attachment to each other. As Henry, Emma and Mr. Gold had made their way through the search for the older man's son; this idea had only been solidified. Gold could easily recall the moments as the puzzle pieces began to fall into place: when he'd threatened Hook in front of her family, her face had given it away. Her son's interest in Gold's greatest enemy had caused many a tense moment on the journey.

By far the most illuminating instance had been when Gold had made to wander into the sitting room of the two bedroom suite they'd acquired for their search, late one evening. Emma had been settled on the couch closest to the small side-table, the gaudy lamp casting light on the glittering object she was turning over and over in her hands. _His _Hook. Gold had watched her smooth her fingertips over it's curve, cradling the weight in her palms and admiring it close enough that the metal clouded as her breath brushed it's surface. She held it as if it were something precious, and in the sum of all those moments, Gold knew. The painful burst in his heart brought on by the look gracing her features; true love. He'd know it anywhere. Bile burned in his throat as he silently turned and crept back into his room, utterly sickened at the thought that someone such as Hook could even deserve to find his true love.

The longer he thought about it, the more disgusted Gold became; seating himself heavily on the edge of his bed and twisting his fingers in the frayed edges of Bae's cloak. The pirate had taken everything from him; his wife, his son, and in doing so, had inadvertently sent him to this land without magic, effectively stealing his magic as well. Hook was to blame for everything. So far, Gold had only managed to correct two of his problems. He'd slayed the woman Hook had loved, rendering him helpless as the Dark One had ripped the unfaithful heart from her chest and crushed it with satisfaction. He'd managed to find the one magic that still worked in this world, and used it to bring his magic back. Now, it was time to fix the last one. Gold knew the magic in the cloak wouldn't last forever and like any intelligent man with a score to settle, he'd come up with a back up plan. True love was the most powerful magic Gold could think of and he knew just where to get another burst of it to break the town-line spell. With a plan in his head, a maniacal smile on his lips, and an assured sort of calm; Gold settled himself into bed.

_ 'Oh, he'll have his love alright. Then he'll know what it's like to lose everything he's ever cared for.'_

* * *

Swan had been gone for a week, and Killian wouldn't admit it to anyone, but he was getting antsy. He'd taken to spending most of his time pacing up and down the planks of the Storybrooke docks and compulsively feeding the two swans that had taken up residence in the bay with the arrival of his ship. The one time he'd approached Charming and Snow White, the Swan girl's parents he'd found out, the meeting hadn't gone well. In fact, it had ended with the prince shoving him around a fair bit; not exactly comfortable with a few broken ribs. So Hook had elected not to go that route again while trying to determine his Swan's whereabouts. _Since when had she become his Swan?_

His next course of action had been to check the eating establishment he'd seen her frequent, late one night. Granny's. Certainly, these people who saw her every day would have some idea as to where she'd disappeared to. As he'd approached the building, he noticed a man seated outside on one of the benches, watching the lone girl wiping down counters in the otherwise empty building. Hook purposefully let his boots fall heavily enough on the road to alert the man to his presence, not wanting to startle him. The man turned and Hook immediately recognized him as the doctor from the atrocious place they'd taken him after the metal beast (he'd learned they were called cars) had hit him.

"Oh. Hook, nice to see you up and around. I was a little worried when you left the hospital early, but you seem to be doing well?" Dr. Whale ended the sentence with the lit of a question tacked on, running a hand through his unruly hair and glancing back at the lights beginning to go out in the diner.

"Aye, I'm recovering well. Not fast enough for my liking, but can't really rush that." The pirate lifted his shoulder in indifference, wincing slightly as the movement caused a twinge in his abdomen. Whale watched him warily as he heard Ruby exit Granny's and lock up, quickly making her way to his side.

"Evening Hook. Emma said you might show up. Everything alright?" Ruby asked, sliding her arm through Whale's and smiling at the other man.

"Swan's precisely why I'm here. Could you be so kind as to tell me where she's gotten off to? Her and I have some unfinished business."

"Couldn't say really," Ruby responded, flicking her gaze up to Victor's face.

"If you know, you'd best tell me, girl." Hook began to take a threatening step towards the pair, raising his hook in an obvious attempt to spook them. He stopped in his tracks though, when Ruby began to laugh openly at him. Perhaps he _should have _tried to flirt it out of her, he'd only abandoned the thought due to the doctor's presence.

"Yeah, that seems like just the trick, Hook. Don't you think it would be counterproductive to incite Dr. Frankenstein and his Werewolf girlfriend into attacking you, after Emma purposefully left to protect y-..." Victor was suddenly silenced by Ruby's hand sliding over his mouth. In retaliation, he licked her palm and grinned mischievously as she withdrew her hand, shaking it with a grimace.

"You know what? Have a good night Hook. Stay out of trouble!" Without leaving room for further argument, Ruby used her hold on Victor's arm to begin dragging him up the street, calling out a cheery 'good bye' behind her as they walked away.

* * *

Two weeks into their journey, Gold announced he felt the magic in Bae's cloak weakening and quietly accepted the inevitability of their speedy return home. Expecting him to put up at least some of a fight, Emma was completely taken aback by the ease with which the return trip to Storybrooke took place. She wanted no part of the calculating look that had taken root in his eyes, and she knew she wanted Henry as far from whatever Gold had planned, as possible.

Mary-Margaret and David met them at the town line, immediately drawing both Emma and Henry into their teary embrace as they crossed the boundary, unable to contain their joy at having their family whole again. The whole scene was something Emma had been hoping to avoid.

"No more trips for awhile?" David asked through a relieved laugh, trying to stoically accept the fact that he was being a bit over emotional. He'd placed his hand against his daughter's cheek, thumb feathering carefully across her skin in an effort to assure himself that she was unharmed and returned safely to them, once again. Emma nodded and pulled away slightly, still not quite use to open displays of affection from anyone but Henry. Starving after their flight home, the Charming family had quickly made their way to Granny's, where it only took an hour for Ruby to find it necessary to mention her run in with Hook.

"It was no problem, Emma!" The younger girl assured her as she loaded a serving tray with drinks. "Victor was with me, and Hook wouldn't have hurt me. He was just looking for you and I wasn't sure how much to tell him..." She trailed off, raising a brow in the Sheriff's direction. "He's pretty much stayed on his ship since then." Emma shook her head and pulled a hand through her gold hair, sighing quietly. She'd been hoping to have a little more time to rest before delving back into her duties, but as she kissed Henry and told Mary Margaret and David she'd see them later, she accepted that living in a town full of fairy tales was her life now. Complete with an irritatingly handsome and troublesome pirate captain, down at the docks, for her to deal with.

* * *

Meanwhile, in Manhattan: a man returns to his apartment to find a bird perched on the desk, just inside his open window. As he goes to shoo it outside, his eyes fall on a postcard. The glossy picture on the front is of a clock tower, with _Welcome to Storybrooke, Maine _printed in scrawling golden letters. He turns the heavy cardstock over in his hands and finds a single world scribbled in black. _**Broken.**_

_'Finally,' _he whispers to himself, clutching the card as if it could be a lifeline. After waiting and running for eleven years, it's finally time for him to reclaim what should have been his all this time. _'Hold on. I'm coming for you Emma.' _


	2. Chapter 1 - I Just

**CHAPTER 1: I JUST**

The sun was sinking beneath the smooth water of the bay, taking with it's receding light the little warmth Emma had managed to hold in her jacket from Granny's. Despite the chill creeping into her skin and the light mist that seemed to perpetually drift down from the sky, she was happy to be home. Funny how she'd started to actually think of Storybrooke as home. Steeling herself against the softer path her thoughts were taking, Emma shoved her hands deeper into the pockets of her onyx long-coat and pushed herself towards the darkness falling over the docks. She needed to be of a sound and steady mind when facing Kil-... Hook, she reminded herself. Captain Hook; that was who she was going to talk to.

Her boots hit the planks of the dock with resounding 'thuds' as she stalked down to one of the few empty spaces in between the fishing boats lining the rows of piers. David had helpfully informed her that Hook's ship was hidden in some sort of magical fashion and Emma sighed in frustration as she stared out into the waves lapping against the wooden supports of the piers. She'd opened her mouth to call for him, really before she'd even realized what she was doing, and snapped her jaw shut with a rather undignified huff. Like she'd give him the satisfaction of knowing she was looking for him. Besides, what was she even here to say to him.

A few plips in the water drew her attention and she leaned cautiously over the edge of the dock to peek underneath it. Little bunches of what appeared to be bread crumbs floated on top of the bobbing waves and two ivory swans paddled out to scoop them up. The graceful birds stuck close to one another and Emma found herself transfixed by their smooth, synchronized movements.

"Ah, I see you made it home safely, Swan." There it was. Emma would recognize that smug and self assured tone anywhere. Especially as it almost startled her enough to make her take a dive into the freezing bay, with the swans.

"And when exactly did you get into having pets?"

"The bloody things just showed up along side my ship, and I didn't want the _poor_ _Swans_ to starve." She could feel the smile in his voice as he emphasized the tie to her namesake. "You do look decidedly much more like a pirate, love," he added offhandedly, and Emma fought the urge to squirm under a gaze she could feel but not definitively put her eyes on.

"Well I'm glad you can see me, but why can't I see you, Hook?" The thought that he could freely observe her every move made her nervous, but she stilled the irritating shake in her hands by digging her nails into her palms inside her pockets, hard enough that she knew she'd still be able to see crescent shaped impressions in her skin later.

"Magic, lass." If she hadn't have been listening so hard for his response, she would have missed the barely there whisper that preceded a black sleeve and a calloused hand appearing from thin air, about a foot from her face. He still managed to startle her. Emma jumped and not one to let someone think they'd caught her off guard, tried haphazardly to cover it with a faux sneeze. Even through the veil of invisible magic, she could feel him laughing at her. Never mind the slight tremor in his fingers as he held them out to her.

"Well come on then," he called, exasperation clear in the tone of his smooth voice and the impatient flex of his hand. Only Killian knew it was his own craving of her touch that was wearing his patience thin so quickly. The need to brush his thumb across her skin to feel her, to know she was real, here and unharmed.

Killian couldn't help the triumphant grin that spread across his face as she withdrew her hand from her coat, and as much as he wanted to just close the distance between their fingers as quickly as possible, he held himself completely still. She would come to him. She would make the choice to trust him not to pull her into the water between the ship and the dock. She would _choose_ him.

"**Emma!**"

She snatched her hand back to her chest as if burned, and Hook growled in frustration, curling his fingers in on themselves. Drawing his hand back behind the invisible veil of magic, he silently reasoned with himself that it would do him no good to gut whoever had interrupted them, but as he watched the color drain from his Swan's face he found himself caring less and less what the consequences would be.

An iciness that had nothing to do with the retreating sunlight blanketed Emma, and she pulled her thick black coat tighter around herself, partially to try and still the trembling the voice had incited. It took most of her concentration to hold back the bile she felt burning in the back of her throat. This was a blast from the past she didn't need or want, in any way, shape, or form.

"_Neal?_" She hissed, fighting her immediate instinct to reach up where she'd seen Hook's hand and pull herself into invisibility. She'd never been one to hide from her problems, no matter how ugly they might be. The man drew closer, holding his hands out and smiling grandly, moving in what looked like a motion to embrace her. Perhaps she imagined the quiet, rumbling growl from the air next to her, but nonetheless she raised her hand in a halting motion.

"How...? No, wait. I don't want to know. What are you doing _here_?!" She heard her voice break on the last word and sought refuge with her shifting gaze, coming up empty except for her vague idea of where the ship might be. Emma knew Hook wouldn't appreciate his ship's presence being revealed, however, so she steeled herself to confront this like she did all things, head first. Or fist first. Either one would do.

"I'm looking for you, of course. What else would I be doing in a place like this? Speaking of: how'd you end up here? Doesn't really scream Tallahassee to me. Or Neverland." He gestured around, his movements reminiscent of someone approaching a wild animal who they knew could easily rip them limb from limb, but was trying to be casual about their fear.

"No. No it really doesn't, does it?" Emma felt like she couldn't get enough air into her lungs and she bristled as Neal reached out to press his hand against her shoulder. Oh she was going to throw up. "Neal, it would be best if you get your hand away from me. Now." She started to back away and grimaced when he just moved with her, keeping his fingertips sunk into the fabric of her jacket.

"I believe the lass said for you to remove your hand, Baelfire, before I remove it for you." The look on Neal's face was priceless as Hook's voice drifted into the open air, like magic and Emma would have laughed out loud if she hadn't been more focused on exactly _what_ it was that Hook had said. _How had he known that name?_

"Baelfire?" Neal had been looking around wildly trying to find the origin of the mysterious voice, but now his gaze latched onto Emma as she spoke, and in response, he ripped his hand away from her. "You are not. You tell me right now that you're not him! TELL ME!" She launched herself forwards and bunched her hands in the collar of his jacket, shaking him as if to rattle the truth she wanted to hear, out of him. He easily broke her hold, swinging his arms in a wide circle and glaring at her incredulously.

"What does that name even mean to you?! How do you know it, Emma?" He flung the words at her, stepping away and shoving his hands deep into the pockets of his jeans. Hook leaned against the side of his ship from his still hidden perch on the stairs, confident in hi-... in Swan's ability to handle herself.

"Because your father just dragged me all over Manhattan looking for your sorry ass!" She was brilliant when furious, Hook decided then. With her blonde hair curling softly against her shoulders in the perpetual mist, her storm grey eyes snapping and shining with anger and a healthy rose glow creeping into her cheeks. She very closely resembled what he imagined when he heard tales of vengeful sea goddesses. Except, he noted, she was wearing an obscene amount of black for a goddess. Much more to his taste though.

"My father?" _Oh so the sodding, worthless gutter rat is going to play stupid?_

"Yes! Your father! Rumplestiltskin."

Now it was Neal's turn to look as if he was going to be ill, stumbling away from Emma as though he'd been physically struck. It occurred to her at the last second that it might not have been wise to reveal Neal, or Baelfire, whoever he was, as Hook's greatest enemy's son. Seeing as she didn't hear a rustling of leather or see a mad pirate flying from thin air to make a stab at Neal, she figured it was something she could worry about later.

"He's here? He's in this world!" His cry jerked her out of her reverie, shocking her back to the matter at hand.

"Don't yell at _me_. I didn't bring him here. But yea, he has a shop in downtown. In fact, I'll take you to him and then your whole family can stay the hell away from me." She stalked past him without another word, hoping Hook would understand her reason for leaving so suddenly and caught sight of another handful of bread sailing into the water, as if to affirm her thought.

The whole trek back into town, Neal tried to explain why he'd left and Emma just shut him out, trying desperately to think happy thoughts instead of wanting to murder him where he stood.

"Really? Pinocchio shows up and tells you that your girlfriend, whom you claimed to love, has a 'destiny' to fulfill... And you just, what? Go with it? You don't fight. You don't try to work around having to leave her? You just choose to give up and set her up to go to prison! Pregnant, I might add! Do you have any idea what that was like for m-..."

"You were pregnant?" He blurted and she whirled on him then, causing him to almost slam into her at the sudden change of direction.

"Yeah. I _was_. Had a son. Gave him away." She fought to rein herself back in. Emma did not want Neal having any part of Henry's life and she'd learned a long time ago, the best way to lie was to tell as close to the truth as she could get. Her fist clenched compulsively when she saw his shoulders sag in relief, as if to say; 'Phew. Bullet dodged.' Spinning on her heel, she made to continue their journey to Gold's shop, but she was stopped in her tracks by the sight that greeted her. The older man was leaning heavily on his cane in the middle of the sidewalk, his mouth agape and his gaze fixed over her shoulder at Neal.

He looked as if he couldn't get enough air, an affliction quickly becoming common, apparently, in Neal's presence.

"_My son?"_


End file.
